as in winds
an air movement that is blowing toward something (such as a ship or an airplane) as it moves forward
Stiff headwinds caused the flight to take longer than expected.
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Recent Examples of headwinds
Recent tariff pressures have presented headwinds and impacted margins, but Reformation has opted to absorb most costs rather than pass that on to the customer, Borenstein said.
—
Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
There are still plenty of headwinds.
—Jeremy Herb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The analyst pointed to further China headwinds, which the company factored in again for 2026.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
But there are also headwinds that include unfunded promises to continue a property tax relief program begun in the governor’s second term.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
In the big leagues, as brands from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels meet regional headwinds, domestic jewelry labels are soaring.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Travel Warning Adding to Cambodia’s tourism headwinds is the sharp warning Seoul issued after a South Korean student was tortured and killed in Cambodia in August.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The company faced headwinds in its 2025 upfront sales session, owing to the loss of NBA rights, which moved this season to NBCUniversal and Amazon.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
This song has the makings of an essential track for young women facing harsh headwinds, feeling like wise perspectives and a warm hug wrapped together.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
There are still plenty of headwinds.
—Jeremy Herb, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The analyst pointed to further China headwinds, which the company factored in again for 2026.
—Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
But there are also headwinds that include unfunded promises to continue a property tax relief program begun in the governor’s second term.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
In the big leagues, as brands from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels meet regional headwinds, domestic jewelry labels are soaring.
—Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Travel Warning Adding to Cambodia’s tourism headwinds is the sharp warning Seoul issued after a South Korean student was tortured and killed in Cambodia in August.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The company faced headwinds in its 2025 upfront sales session, owing to the loss of NBA rights, which moved this season to NBCUniversal and Amazon.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
This song has the makings of an essential track for young women facing harsh headwinds, feeling like wise perspectives and a warm hug wrapped together.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwinds
winds
Noun
-
The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a savage storm with hurricane-force winds around 100-mile-an-hour and waves up to 60 feet, crashing down on the freighter every four to eight seconds, says Bacon.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Pay extra attention to winter irrigation for fall plantings, as evergreen foliage is susceptible to desiccation from winter winds.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headwinds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwinds. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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